The Legend of Cynder: Light in the Dark
by GoldenGriffiness
Summary: Peace. Torn to shreds, as delicate as glass... Cynder was grateful for the peace she had found, but suddenly she's in a land and form she doesn't know or trust- and the peace in this new land is just as close to breaking. Full summary inside.
1. PROLOGUE

**(AN.**

**Sumary:**

**Peace is a gift, rare and fleeting. Torn to shreds, as delicate as glass... Cynder was grateful for the peace she had found, but now, suddenly she's in a land and form she doesn't know or trust- and the peace in this new land is just as close to breaking. Storm clouds gather on the horizon, and everything she cares about vanished into the darkness. Cynder will have to learn to be grateful for her new friends, or she as no hope of finding her old ones and return to her true self… Can Sora survive the irritable dragoness tagging along? And now she's in a new form, what powers await her?**

**Hmm. Well, I'll say more in later chapters!****)**

This wasn't the dragon temple. This wasn't the serene, beautiful building I knew so well. Darkness crackled everywhere, like cold flame, sending shakes and shivers up my spine. Yellow eyes peered from the shadows, and when I tried to slash at one of the small creatures they belonged to, my paw passed through like mist.

A purple head poked out of the corridor directly across from me, amethyst eyes wide with fear. "Cynder!"

"Spyro, where's Myst?" I asked, panicked.

"I can't find her or the guardians!" he shouted a reply, trying uselessly to bat at a small yellow-eyed _thing_ with his tailblade.

No, no, no, no… She had to be somewhere! There was no way in hell I'd leave her alone to fight these things! Her eyesight was returning slowly at last, but all she could see was blurred shapes and shadows. Since almost everything was in shadow, she probably could barely see anything at all!

"Let's stick together!" I shouted to Spyro, "We might not be able to find each other again!"

With a quick nod the purple dragon darted to my side, looking relieved.

"Have you checked her room yet? I was just going there."

I shook my head, "Same, let's go."

We darted through the winding hallways. I needed to stay a bit slower for Spyro's sake. Ever since he turned back he'd had to deal with much less stamina than his larger form had had; that, and a conscienc. Ever since he'd come back he'd refused to take life, so his attempts to remove the small_things_ in the way were fleeting and half-hearted. Not that I was doing better, but at least I was trying!

There! I saw her, shrunken against the wall, shaking, surrounded by a semicircle of the yellow-eyed, black creatures.

"Myst!" I leapt forward, feeling something tugging against my back legs for a moment, but they broke free easily. Reaching wings around her, I turned to see my other friend chest-deep in darkness. Shadows were pulling at him, yanking him down into ancestors-know-what.

Desperate, I reached my tail out to him, "Bite it! Hold on!"

Looking at me, he shook his head, "My teeth!"

I glared at him, "I don't give scat! Grab it!"

His filed teeth were one of many unwelcome reminders of how his life had begun. Mutilated and corrupted beyond recognition of the proud race he was meant to be a part of, his teeth and a few bloody scars was all of the General's physical remains; though they left a far worse scar on his conscience.

He looked at me, but as he sunk until only his neck and wings were above the shadowy floor, he had to agree on the necessity. Leaning forward, he gingerly grabbed hold of my tail, trying not to bite down.

I glared, "That won't help you stay! Tighter, you idiot!" But then he was gone. My tail had slipped from his grasp before he'd got a grip.

"Spyro," I yowled, dipping my tail down, trying to find him and discovering nothing. He was gone…all because he didn't want to hurt me. Gone.

"What's happening?" Myst's small voice quivered like a leaf in a hailstorm, and I tucked her into me, wrapping around her with my wings and tail.

"I don't know… I just don't know."

Everything around me seemed to have vanished into shadow. Only a bit of ground remained in a small circle around us, and the edges continued to shatter, breaking into fragments before dissolving into nothing. I squeezed my own eyes shut, holding Myst to me, "Don't let go, no matter what!"

"Wasn't planning to," she sounded so afraid, so delicate, like a breath of wind could shatter her.

And then the ground was gone, and we were falling in a dizzying spiral. The only thing I could feel was Myst, and I clutched her like a lifeline. My baby… I sure as hell wasn't going to let anything happen to her!

And then there was something pulling her away. I screamed and held onto her, but she was gone before I knew what was what, and I was alone, tumbling through blackness.

"_Sometimes, all will appear lost, leaving you to long for what once was…"_a voice whispered on a nonexistent wind.

"Kaboa," I cried, not even caring how weak I sounded. But then I realized it wasn't… It sounded a bit like her, and a bit like four other voices I knew I recognized, but couldn't place.

"_You may not be able to save what you've lost as you are, but do not fear change. Look your fear in the face, and master it."_

"Where's Myst?" I demanded as I spiraled in utter black, not caring where I was, "Where's Spyro! Sparx! Ignitus…."

Being ignored gets incredibly old incredibly fast if you didn't already know. Especially when you don't know where your friends are, and they could be dead or ancestors-know what else!

"Your journey begins in two days' time."

And then I just knew the voice, and whoever-or whatever, it belonged to, was gone.

And I was alone.

I didn't know how long I fell through the black abyss. It could have been minutes or hours, days or years. I had no way to tell. It hurt; it felt like bits of me were torn apart, while others were stretched or shoved into themselves. I didn't have the strength to scream as fire danced across my skin, tearing my scales to shreds. I didn't have enough of me left anymore to even think when my wings were torn from me; couldn't move my forelegs to clutch my head when my horns were suddenly just gone.

It took all too long for me to have no energy left, and finally fall into peaceful oblivion.


	2. EARTHBOUND

I was lying on something hard and gritty, and it felt more irritating than it should have. My scales must have been pretty damn raw, because it felt like whatever-it-was was rubbing against my wing membranes, though it was rubbing against my rear legs, belly and forelegs. Why wasn't it rubbing my tail? I never sleep with my tail off the ground. That would just be terribly awkward.

Blinking dazedly, but closing my eyes quickly as they were assaulted by far too much light, I tried to move my tail from side to side. Nothing! I couldn't find it; what the hell could have happened? I knew enough that about losing limbs that I knew if they were gone you still felt like they were there, but there was nothing, not a hint that it had ever been there in the first place!

When I moved one foreleg, something smooth slid between it and the gritty substance, like an armguard in an armor set, but much thinner. I moved myself around slightly and discovered the material stretched up my forelegs and around the front half of my body, excluding my neck. Another piece covered my abdomen and back legs, reaching down to my ankles.

Something else bounced around my head and neck, like a bundle of spider's silk or some-such. Completely bizarre. Speaking of spider's silk, I was relieved to feel my bag still resting as it should, though the corner was trapped under me.

I tried to blink my eyes open again, squinting until they could readjust, which took much longer than it should have. I tried to lift my head, only to find I couldn't. I could barely even turn my head! It was already sideways on the gritty stuff, which, from looking, I now knew was sand. My neck refused to move the way it should; it almost felt as though it was stiffer and shorter than it should have been, but that was ridiculous.

Something long and stringy was obstructing some of my vision as well, and I couldn't flick my head to get rid of it. It bounced and jerked, but as the ends seemed to be tied to me, it wouldn't come off.

…The hell?

Gathering my paws beneath me, I pushed down to lift myself from the ground, but my hindquarters came up much higher than they should, and my back legs weren't bending like they should either. I quickly dropped back down, not wanting to wave my butt in the air when my tail had mysteriously vanished. Even with this new thin armor or whatever it was, it was distinctly embarrassing.

I looked down at my forelegs. At least they felt almost normal, but they were pink! And not even close to _my_ pink – they were a pale mix of tan and pink, much lighter than the shade that covered my belly and membranes. I had two extra toes on each forepaw, and every one of them was longer and thinner than it should have been. They almost looked like ape's hands, only furless. I couldn't find a single scale anywhere on my forelegs.

So my tail and scales were gone, I was covered in the thinnest, most useless armor of all time, and I had five, nearly clawless, talons, certainly useless in combat.

I thought my life had been confusing and chaotic enough already!

If my hands were like an ape, did that make the rest of my body like one as well? I shuddered at the thought, but tried sitting down more like one of them would, back legs stretched forward. It was strange not to have to use my forelegs – or were they called arms, like Sparx's?

Sparx, Ignitus, Kaboa, Myst, what happened to them? Did the guardians fall into the dark like I did? Was everyone turned into whatever I am now?

My thoughts were dazed and confused, flitting from one thing to another like a mentally challenged butterfly. What was I? Was I really some kind of ape? Where was everyone? Where am I?_What_ am I?

I didn't have much more time to ponder, because a voice called out to me.

~Kairi~

Kairi hadn't seen this girl before on the island. Usually the only regular visitors to this place were herself, her closest friends Sora and Riku, and three others. The girl looked so utterly lost, staring at her own hands like they were something foreign. Her medium-length, ebony hair was ruffled and unkempt, like she hadn't brushed it after waking, and the front of her black, long-sleeve shirt was covered in damp sand.

Who wears a long sleeve shirt and long pants on a tropical island? Particularly black!

The hem and sleeves of her long-sleeved hoodie bore a jagged zigzag of pink, and higher up was pink as well – a vest on top of a long-sleeved shirt on a hot tropical island? The ends of the pant-legs broke into similar pink and, on the sides of the shoulders and pants as well as the back of the hoodie, silver marks were emblazoned in the deep black material.

Stepping forward slightly nervously, she called, "Hello? Did you fall down?"

She couldn't think of any other way the girl could have become so utterly covered in sand.

The girl jerked, whipping her head around so fast she lost balance and fell over. Kairi covered her mouth to hide her smile, walking up to the strange girl, "Sorry I startled you."

The girl looked up at her, blinking, "You look like I do… What are we?"

Kairi blinked, kneeling down to be closer to eye-level with the girl, "What do you mean 'what are we'? Don't you know?"

The girl scrambled back to an awkward sitting position, gazing at her with the brightest green eyes she'd ever seen, sparkling like emeralds, "I don't know, are we some kind of…ape?"

The girl gritted her teeth when she said that, shivering slightly.

Kairi just looked at her, grin wavering when she realized it was far from a joke, "You mean, like monkeys? Not exactly… Why don't you know?"

She didn't know what else to say. Could this girl be from another world like her? That still didn't explain why she was looking at Kairi like she'd never seen another human before.

The strange girl looked at her hands, not like she was embarrassed, but like she was studying them to try and figure out what they were, "I don't know, I'm not supposed to be like this."

~Cynder~

The girl was looking at me like I'd grown an extra tail or something. Actually, I wouldn't have minded that, as I actually needed one. I understand thinking it's weird I don't know my own species, but why was she nervous? I was trying to be polite.

I didn't know what I was and I needed this person's help. For all I knew she was dangerous somehow, the seeming helplessness deceptive. As I had no idea how, or even if, it was possible to fight in this body, I didn't want to tick anything off just yet. I needed things figured out as soon as possible so that I could figure out what happened to the others.

The apelike thing looked utterly lost, so I tried to change the subject. Looking around, the first thing that caught my eye was the strange armor that covered me. Poking it tentatively with one talon – er, _finger_, if my paws were like Sparx's, or an ape's – I asked, "What is this stuff? Some kind of armor?"

This seemed to baffle the girl even more. It was a simple enough question! What could possibly be confusing about that? Was this race dumb by nature, or was this one just thicker than most? I found myself biting the lower part of my mouth as I tried to think of something else to say. Were my teeth sharp as they should have been, I'd have left the top of my lower jaw bloody, but they were blunt and useless.

At least I hadn't been turned into something that couldn't talk.

"Um," I tried again, "Do you know how to get to the dragon temple from here?"

Another confused stare. Great. _Why?_What the hell did I do to deserve all this crap?

Spyro was likely dead; Sparx as well. I'd told him to fly high as he could to get away from all the shadow-things. I hadn't even seen Ignitus or the other guardians since before everything went haywire. Myst, my baby, was she gone? She couldn't be! I told myself over and over I'd look after her!

Something was trickling from my eyes, and I reached one 'hand' up to pat my cheek, so soft now. It was wet. I guess I could cry, whatever I was. I felt like an idiot. I never cried! Not in front of some, some, _thing_ I barely knew!

But I was crying and, try as I would, it wouldn't stop. The creature that was like me didn't seem to know what to do.

~Kairi~

The strange girl was crying, not dramatically or anything, but her tears still fell and her eyes were lost, looking to something or somewhere else. Kairi just stared for a moment, before tentatively reaching out a hand and placing it on her shoulder. She seemed about her age, possibly a little younger.

"I don't know how, but I think you might come from a different world. I did too, but I can't remember… Most of what you're saying doesn't make sense here."

She wasn't really sure what else to say. Most of what the girl said still didn't make sense with that explanation, but it was the best she could come up with.

The girl shook her head. Her cheeks were slightly red with embarrassment from crying in front of a stranger, "This isn't Convexity or the Dark Realms… We've gotta be somewhere in the Dragon Realms, but I've never been here before."

Kairi blinked again. _Dragon Realms?_ "Is that the name of your world?"

"It's the name of _this_ world!" the other girl said stubbornly, "The only worlds are the Dragon Realms and Convexity, which links to the Dark Realms. And both of those aren't exactly suitable for life! The temple has to be somewhere!"

~Cynder~

It wasn't like me to deny the obvious, but every fiber of my being was screaming that this was impossible. My life was already a large hell-hole. But still, I'd give anything to be back in it. I had friends, I had a beautiful temple where I lived and, for that moment at least, it had been peaceful. Now everything I knew was suddenly gone, torn from me.

What did I have left anymore? It was all gone. I only had to hope I could find my friends; the last fragments of a life that was probably gone for good. Of course I couldn't help but cry.

However much I preached that to myself, I still felt weak and helpless. This body was weak, and so was I in it.

It took me far too long to stop crying, but I knew from experience I had to get it off my chest. I wouldn't be able to function until I did, and at least Sparx or Myst weren't here to see my weakness.

Heh. Small comfort. I'd give anything for the two of them to be here; and Spyro, too, I suppose.

Finally I looked at the girl and brought my much-too-long back feet under me, trying to stand like she was, erect. How could anything stand like this? My knees wobbled as I stood. They were weaker than they should be, and I was way too high in the air! I estimated I'd have been almost level to Ignitus's shoulder, at least twice the height I was supposed to be.

Crap. I was falling forward, and instinctually forced my forepaws – or hands – down and managed to catch myself, bending my elbows slightly to take the force. At least they bent right! That made, what, two of my limbs? Joy.

The girl helped me back up, still blinking. "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot… Hi! I'm Kairi, what's your name?"

I blinked. This girl was so bizarre… "Cynder…"

She looked bemused at my name. Maybe it was uncommon here?

"Well, Cynder," she said, still looking awkward, "My friends and I are making a raft to try and see other worlds! Maybe if you come with us, we could find what you're looking for as well!"

I blinked. That was unexpected, and I had no idea what a "raft" could be, but I didn't have any other way of getting over water, my wings conspicuously gone. I had to find a way to change back, for the sake of flying if nothing else.

"I guess I'll come…" What the hell could go any more wrong than it already had?

As I was to find out all too soon: _everything._

I followed the new creature, Kairi, slowly. I kept losing balance. And I only had the reflexes to catch myself when falling forward; any other time she had to grab my arm to keep me upright. I should have been grateful, but I was too busy being humiliated.

Damn these legs!

"So," I grumbled after my fifth, or was it sixth, almost fall, "If this place isn't the Dragon Realms, _where_ are we?"

"This world's called Destiny Islands. It's really beautiful! I think you'll like it here."

I had to resist shooting the naïve girl a glare, "I care about who I need to look for, not where I am."

That said, the place really was incredible: A small island, waves lapping playfully on the white-sand shore, palm trees, and a gentle wind whistling through them. It reminded me of the islands I'd flown over to get to Dante's Freezer, Tall Plains and Munitions Forge. But anyone that had any contact whatsoever with dragons didn't build wooden houses, for obvious reasons.

For a second I thought I'd need to be careful myself, then promptly realized I almost definitely didn't have my fire anymore. Only dragons could harness the elements, at least, not unnaturally. I had nothing anymore. Claws, teeth, blades, horns, wings, and my friends… All gone…

_I have nothing left…_

_Until I find them._

And be it on my last breath, I swear that I will.


	3. SHARDS OF GLASS

Kairi left me next to a tree to lean against, as otherwise I would probably have fallen. Sucking in a breath, I glanced over at her. The little bit of fur she had was like dull flame, her eyes a sky blue that seemed to shimmer with light, even when there was none. Those eyes were focused on something.

I turned, seeing that she was looking at another figure, atrociously large feet stuck in the surf, arms behind its head. Brown fur spiked from his forehead like you wouldn't believe, creating large spikes that gave his head the impression that, if hardened, it would make a decent weapon. I had the thought of a dragon with horns spiking all over like that, and barely held in my laugh.

Looking at him, Kairi smirked, and put a finger to her maw—finally something I did recognize! It reminded me of when Sparx and I used to play pranks on everyone around the village; they never figured out the culprits either. I cocked an eye ridge, looking at the sparkling mischief in her eyes, before she turned and trotted up to the sleeping one.

It jerked awake, eyes widened, before it simply dropped back and seemed to decide to go back to sleep. He yawned on the way, and by the tone I assumed it was male.

More sleep wasn't going to happen however, as the girl popped into his line of sight. He jumped, "Whoa!" Definitely male.

He got to his knees to face her, so much more fluent than I was right now, as she giggled hopelessly at him, not even trying to hide it.

"Give me a break, Kairi," He grumbled.

"Sora, you lazy bum! I knew I'd find you snoozing down here!" She teased lightly.

"No!" He blinked confusedly, "This huge black _thing _swallowed me up! I-I couldn't breathe, I couldn't— _ow_!"

I stepped up, slowly so I didn't fall over again, "Sounds like quite the nightmare."

"It wasn't a dream, or was it? I dunno…." he was so frantic he didn't realize it was me who'd spoken.

"What was that place?" He murmured, more to himself, "So bizarre…"

He looked up, and noticed two girls where there should be one. "Who're you?"

"Sora, meet Cynder!" Kairi said happily, "She was asleep on the beach; I think she's from another world!"

Sora looked at me, "Are you?"

I shrugged, "I dunno about this other world stuff, but this is certainly not anywhere I've seen before. Even _I _don't look like I'm s'pposed to…"

He blinked, looking at Kairi in confusion, "Well, what's your world like?"

I shrugged, "Nothing like here…"

Sensing I wasn't in the mood to say more, he turned to Kairi, "Say, Kairi, what was your hometown like? Y'know, where you grew up?"

She sighed like she'd heard this a million times, and turned to the surf, "I've told you before, I don't remember…"

I edged backwards somewhat—it seemed like more of a private conversation—and sank down to sit on a ridge of earth. Not that I couldn't hear them, but at least they had some space.

"Nothing at all?" Sora prodded gently.

She sighed again, "Nothing…"

"Ever wanna go back?"

She stared into the distance, "Mnnn… Well, I'm happy here!"

"Really?" Sora said, sounding almost relieved.

"But, you know… I wouldn't mind going to see it!"

He shifted in his position, smiling, "I'd like to see it, too! Along with any other worlds out there! I wanna see 'em all! "

She grinned, "So, what we waiting for?"

"Hey!" Another boy stepped up, grumbling, "Aren't you forgetting about me?"

He blinked at them, smirking, "I guess I'm the only one working on the raft?" White fur flowed like a waterfall to his well-muscled shoulders and, like the other two, his eyes were blue—yet his gave me the chill of ice, rather than the beauty of endless skies.

As I got up and slowly made my way towards them, he tossed a large log to Sora, who fumbled to catch it, the weight bowling him over. He loped past and stopped in front of Kairi, putting his hands on his hips like mom used to do. "And you're just as lazy as he is!"

"So you noticed," she grinned, and then noticed me behind him, "Oh, Riku, this is Cynder! We think she's from another world!"

He eyed me skeptically, "Is that so?" His cold, cerulean eyes glared into mine, almost as bright, and I cocked an eyebrow. A glaring contest ensued for a few seconds before he had to look away as Kairi addressed him and Sora.

"She just woke up on the beach. I thought she could come with us and we could help her find her home again!"

Sora seemed fine enough with this, but Riku's eyes hardened, decidedly displeased, "You don't say."

The side of my mouth poked up in the slightest smirk. He could at least give me a chance. Not that I cared.

~Riku~

There was something he didn't like about those eyes of hers, something strange and almost sad. But they also had an inhuman gleam to them, something he didn't trust. The hard glare that met his own seemed decidedly unimpressed, something that wasn't right for someone so obviously weak and clumsy. She'd almost fallen at least five times on the way over, yet still had the nerve to look at him like she'd seen ten of his lifetimes.

~Cynder~

Just what I need, an egomaniac monkey. I'd hate to be anywhere near this guy for an extended period. He's obviously a great friend to them, but the way he's looking at me is just idiotic. I may not be the best judge of character, but I know a stubborn pain in the backside when I see one, hell knows I've had to deal with plenty. Not to say he's completely bad, he's obviously close to them, but the way he seems almost jealous of the person who met his friends about two seconds ago is truly pathetic.

What a fool. Part of exploring is meeting new people and making new friends. He wants everything to stay the same, and yet there is fire in his eyes—hungry to see new places? He's completely contradicting himself! Not one of them knows anything about the bigger world, that's evident enough. They don't realize the danger, or the joy of leaving home. For all they know, the adventure could take them through hell and back, and I know deep within my heart—very few real adventures ever return you as you once were.

I had to remind myself I'd been just as naive once in order not to tell them what they could be getting themselves into. Perhaps it was a journey they had to take…

He kept shooting glances at me with a stare harder than the gems his eyes resembled, and I doubt the scorn for such idiocy wasn't evident in my eyes. I don't hide what I'm feeling unless necessary.

"Well then," he grumbled, "we best get to working on the raft."

Kairi smiled, brighter than the sun, and leapt up, "Yeah! We'll finish it together!"

My heart warmed. Something about her reminded me of Myst… The purity and the innocence, the way her eyes sparkled when she was happy… Still, Myst was older than her in all ways but years, and that made my chest flare with pain.

"Come on!" Kairi's eyes twinkled again, "I'll race you!"

"What?" Riku grumbled. Sora just 'huh'ed.

But the minute she trotted away, they were off like rockets.

Riku glanced back at me, smirking.

And, with a barely perceptible growl, I too was off. Something just snapped, and I bounded forward, 'arms' swinging at my sides, the black armor-things on my feet splaying up dirt behind me. It wasn't anywhere near how fast I could truly run, but it rivaled any ape I'd ever encountered, and certainly put me up to their speed. I caught up to Riku, and was fighting to get in front when we reached our apparent destination. Even I don't know if I won or lost that one.

The boys left to gather who knows what, and Kairi and I sat down. She was giving me odd looks because of the sudden burst of agility, but I was just as confused about it myself. When she asked, I could only offer a shrug and a "dunno."

I spent most of the time the boys were gone staring at nothing and doing everything I could to lock my trepidation in the back of my mind. I had to be strong now; I could mentally rant about the hell that is my life later. _After _I found Spyro, Sparx and Myst. I had to go with them. Who knows? I might find my world on the way, but what if the others weren't there? Sitting here won't change a thing. It's not the where that makes 'home,' it's the _who_.

Kairi looked at me seriously, her voice snapping me from my silent reverie, "Cynder, you speak of people like you're not one."

I stared at my hands again, marveling at how set and steady they'd suddenly become, and sighed, "That obvious, huh?"

She nodded, looking at me, "It's even in how you look… Your eyes are brighter than any person's I've ever seen."

I shrugged, "Sounds like they look the same, then. Pity I don't have something reflective."

She blinked, "Like a mirror?"

"Mere-roar?"

She fished in her pocket and pulled out a tiny thing, flipped part of it open, and then handed it to me.

I looked it over curiously. It was some sort of hard, green substance with bristles on one side and a flat piece of what seemed like ice on the other. But why it didn't show through to the green behind it, and was still frozen despite the heat, made no sense to me whatsoever. At least it was reflective.

I had to put it at the end of my arm's length to see my whole face—flat, a small nose, long black fur on my forehead. The only familiar thing was the jade eyes that looked out at me, as lost as I was. I blinked, as did the girl in the mirror. With a crack as it hit the log Sora had brought, it fell into the sand. Kairi picked it up, but the shards of ice remained in the sand. I just stared at where the reflection had been, so terrifyingly real…

I'm not one to fool myself into believing reality is a dream, but somewhere I had, somewhere the tiniest bit of me had hoped…

Gone, shattered, like glass…

I was crying again, my forehead resting in my new hands, my whole body quivering with the reality of it all.

Who am I? If I'm not me, who am I?

What am I?

I was running again, wind whipping my face, fur blowing behind me, flaring and waving like wildfire. I found somewhere to hide, curling up as much as I could—like I once had been able to—a cranny in a reasonably large cave, the grey walls white under the surface. Lichen covered a small part of it, and so I curled up and cried.


	4. BLUE SPIRIT

I heard them calling, all of them. Sora and Kairi even checked the cave. I heard her explain to Sora how I wasn't human, and about the mirror and me running.

I held stock-still when I heard them come in. After Kairi's explanation, Sora was quiet for an instant, "If she's not a person, what is she? What else is there?"

"She didn't say… But we don't know much about other worlds. I mean, without memories, the same thing could've even happened to me."

Sora laughed, "C'mon, Kairi, we both know that's not right! Both of you gotta be people, she must have hit her head or something."

"Haven't you been watching her, Sora? Even after she suddenly got confidence, she moved almost _too_ fluently. I think she's telling the truth, but even if she's not human, she's still a person."

Humans, so that's what they are… What I am…

"Yeah, you're right, Kairi," I could almost hear Sora's smile.

After they had gone, I fell asleep crying.

~Kairi, Riku & Sora~

Sora and Kairi walked up to Riku, who was still calling reluctantly. When Kairi looked at him hopefully, he just shook his head. The three traipsed up to the smaller island, sitting on a bowed tree-trunk, looking out to the ocean. The sun was fading, its reflection making the water blaze with glory, the lapping waves making the mirage look even more like true flame.

Sora sighed, looking into the distance, "Both their homes are out there somewhere, right?"

"Could be," Riku said, aloof. "We'll never know by staying here!"

Sora leaned forward to look at him, "But how far could a raft take us?"

"Who knows?" Riku waved one hand nonchalantly, "If we have to, we'll think of something else…"

Kairi looked at him, smiling, "So, suppose you get to another world, what will you do there?"

"Hmmm…" Riku glanced down to his crossed arms, "I…haven't really thought about it… It's just… I've always wondered why we're _here,_ on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And, suppose there _are_ other worlds… Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So, we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?"

"I dunno," Sora lazed on his end of the tree, putting his hands behind his head, strange star-shaped fruits dangling above his head.

"Exactly!" Riku said decidedly, "That's why we need to go out there and find out!" He stepped out, glaring out to the ocean. "Just sitting here won't change a thing… It's the same old stuff, day after day! So let's go."

Kairi turned to him. She'd never felt so nervous around her friend before, or less comprehending. "You've been thinking a lot about this, haven't you?"

Riku turned to her, "Thanks to you. If you hadn't come here, I probably wouldn't have thought of any of this…"

"Kairi?" His green eyes pierced into her blue for an instant, "Thanks."

They walked along the bridge, the eyes shifting to remain unnoticed.

"What about Cynder?"

Riku's eyes hardened again, "If she doesn't want to be found, we won't find her. Maybe she'll come out in the morning."

The others couldn't argue.

~Cynder~

Slap, slap, slap…

The sound of Sora's gargantuan shoes slapping stone woke me. I peered tiredly out of my hole. Everything hurt… Apparently humans weren't supposed to sleep curled so tight.

Sora paced to the other wall and laid his hand against what looked like a rather abstract doodle of Kairi's face, and began scribbling. I didn't find this terribly interesting, and I didn't want anyone to know where I'd spent the night in case I wanted somewhere private later. So I stared at him scribbling for a long time.

A rustle and I stiffened; the all-too-familiar smell of tainted darkness permitted the air, fogging up all other scents. I shuffled slightly, prepared to leap out of my little place if need be. The smell was even stronger than the General! Nothing Sora could handle alone, that was for sure.

"I've come to see the door to this world," A voice echoed through the cave, hard, sharper than old steel.

"Huh?" Sora looked around for the speaker.

"This world has been connected…" I tried to pinpoint the voice, but it was like it was coming from everywhere all at once, infused with the shadows that lay draped about the cave. I shivered; the thing knew I was here.

"Wha—what are you talking about?" Sora was immune to the evident smell of tainted darkness, and I edged myself quietly out of my little hole, careful not to make a sound.

"Tied to the darkness… Soon to be completely eclipsed…"

I stood behind Sora, looking at a cloaked figure, not a touch of skin showing. His black cloak almost blended into the darkness everywhere.

"Stop freakin' me out like this, huh," Sora yelped, clenching a fist.

I paced up next to him, eyes on the figure. "Calm down, he's not actually here. His spirit is, but I can't smell anything besides the reek of shadows. Don't let him upset you."

He looked at me and nodded, trusting my sense enough for that. I raised one eye-ridge—er, brow?—at the thing, "So now, where did you come from? Obviously you're a spirit, but how you're this visible, I don't know."

Ignoring me, not one of my favorite things, he continued, "You do not yet know what lies beyond the door…"

Sora stared, "So, you're from another world…"

"'Course he is," I snorted, "can't you smell it? He doesn't smell of anything from here, just tainted darkness. In a place like this, so full of light, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything like _him_."

"There is so very much to learn…" The monotone continued, "You understand so little…"

Sora started to respond, but I held a hand up, signaling him to stop, "Oh? That's what learning's for, you great oaf. Everything's a constant mystery, that's why life's so interesting."

Sora looked at me, "Yeah! I'll learn what's out there! Just you wait and see!"

"A meaningless effort… One who knows _nothing_ can understand _nothing_."

I snorted and bared my teeth; a leftover habit I suppose. "That s'pposed to scare us, cloak-boy? Sometimes we don't know anything … But that doesn't mean learning goes to hell! Naivety is something that rarely lasts forever."

Sora glanced at the aged door that rested in the wall, and I did as well. Could it possibly lead me home?

I knew he was gone when the smell dissipated, though Sora turned to look. I was busy shivering; the air was crackling with tension.

There's going to be a storm tonight, and it won't be completely natural…

I sighed, "Tell Kairi I'm okay, will you? I think I'll spend the night here again… There's something I need to check."

The air of tension… It was disturbing, reminding me of the few days before I'd been washed away by shadow. Maybe it was nothing, but the quiet place in the cave… It felt like the eye of a brewing storm, but still the source of it.

"You know you could come to one of our places for the night if you wanted to, right? Especially Kairi's, she's been worried sick."

"All day? What time is it?" I was used to sleeping outdoors, or at the least somewhere with windows—so I always rose with the sun.

He looked at me, "Were you in here all day? It's nearly sunset! Aren't you hungry?"

I shrugged, "Nah, I caught food a few days ago, I should be good for at least another we—" I was cut off by my stomach growling like the General as it let me know it didn't agree with that statement.

I blinked down at it in confusion, "Apparently not…"

He couldn't help but laugh, "I dunno who or what you are, but humans try and eat daily! C'mon, Kairi has food with her." He steered me out of the cave and to a little cove, where Kairi stood on some sort of semi-boat resembling thing.

She looked so relieved to see me, even though I'd just met her… Her face broke into a relieved smile, and to my shock she hugged me—to which I didn't know how to respond. I just stood there, blinking.

"Um, I'm sorry I broke your 'mere-roar'," was the only thing I could think of to say.

She blinked, as if she'd forgotten the thing completely, "No, it's me who should be sorry! It's my fault you ran off!"

…How'd she figure that?

Kairi and I sat on the worn wood of the raft as Sora went to finish finding provisions. I looked at the calm sea and a chill crawled up my spine.

Something bad was going to happen, if only I knew what…

Time passed in silence; I didn't really want, or know how, to break it. I wasn't one to chat while stressed, and besides the whole furless ape thing, the chill in the air was creeping under my skin and into my bones, making me twitchy.

"We're heading back soon, Cynder," Kairi looked at me, "Do you want to stay at my place for the night?"

I shook my head, "No thank you, I'd rather stay here…" I looked down at the armor covering my feet, "Um, but can you help me with something first?"

"Sure, anything!" Kairi gave me an odd look.

"Erm… This armor, how do you go to the, er…"

Awkward, very, very awkward…

After a minute of me studying my whatever-they're-called, Kairi's eyes were laughing, and a tinge of pink was crawling over my cheeks, so much more evident on pale skin. She explained, giggles at my misfortune interrupting here and there, not that I could blame her… This whole situation was utterly absurd. I nodded thanks, and they left.

I did my business, a whole level of awkwardness I am _so _not going into, and paced back to my makeshift-den. I curled up again and drifted into sleep. The "clothes", as Kairi had called them, were annoying and cumbersome, but when I asked why her kind didn't just ditch the stupid things, she'd looked at me like I was some alien monster. Granted, I pretty much was.

…

I was falling, falling into darkness… I wasn't afraid, though. My stomach wasn't lurching, and instinctually my wings reached out, catching air, and I landed on my two feet.

Wings? _Two_ feet?

Blinking, everything seemed to be coming to me slowly, surreal, like in a dream. I looked up, sunlight filtering through water, causing it to ripple over my skin… I was standing, breathing, in water. Reaching my hand back, I felt my shoulders, finding nothing. Everything was shimmering blue…

Suddenly, stone formed beneath me; I was in the temple, and there was Spyro!

"Spyro!" I called and he turned, his eyes sad. As I raced forward I was sinking, sinking into solid stone…and he was gone.

I shook my head, trying to clear it. This was surreal, dreamlike… I was underwater, and I wasn't frightened. But suddenly, the water was darkening, becoming pitch-black. Stars began to blink into existence, covering me with a golden radiance. I wasn't falling; I was drifting down, gliding like I had wings, though my shoulders were bare… The stars were warm, shimmering like diamonds on fire.

Then the stars flashed out, their radiance fading with me into black oblivion.

Suddenly, my feet were pressed to smooth glass, and the blackness warped into birds, a millennia of ravens flying away, melding into nothing to reveal the beauty of the thing I stood upon. A flat disc of radiance shone beneath me, silver, with a white form in the middle, jagged pink gashes weeping ruby tears of blood. She looked out a window where a single star shone on a purple sky.

Around the circle were smaller ones—each gold and, in the middle, emblazoned with a purple butterfly.

"This can't be real." I stared at the inaccuracy in the thing. Myst's eyes were normal, blue shining with sorrow.

But then, come to think of it, I never knew what color her eyes were before the poison took effect.

"_So much to learn, so little time_…" One of the voices from before…but where was it coming from? "_Take your time, and don't let fear cause your feet to drag_…"

"Where the hell am I?" No answer.

"_The door is still closed, concealing what lies behind_…"

"Well, duh. You can hardly see through doors," I griped, crossing my new arms. Habit: ignore pushy figures you don't know—still present.

"_Your power sleeps within you, give it form and it shall return to lend you strength, if not in the form you expect_…"

Three pillars erupted from the ground, forming a triangle around Myst's portrait. One held a staff with a blue gem resting on top, one something pointy and sharp with a handle, and one a shield. I looked at them apprehensively.

I paced towards the sharp thing, and came to a halt as the voice talked again.

"_The power of the warrior_," light enveloped the sword, "_Invulnerable courage; a sword of terrible destruction._"

No. I paced back, tensely edging towards the shield.

"_The_ _power of the guardian, kindness to aid friends, a shield to repel all…_"

Better, but still not me. Shields reduce speed, even when you are trying to defend someone. No use having one when you can't get there fast enough. I'd seen some apes with the things, and they'd spent entirely too much time hunkering behind the things.

I stepped toward the last podium.

"_The power of the mystic… Inner strength, a staff of wonder and ruin…"_

A smile, small but true, graced my mouth. Something about the words made me think of my situation. It wasn't like I had any other 'strength' left, in any sense of the word. I stroked the side of it, and the color changed in a flash. My reflection, pink and useless was overshadowed by my true self, light sparkling off my scales.

The black and pink in my reflection blazed, covering the glimmering staff in shimmering black, green, white and silver.

What once was a round grip now wrapped my hand, white spikes arching forward from the silver handle then wrapping it. A long black shaft ended in what looked like the end of my tail and a key all at once—and finally, along one edge of the shaft was a smooth slash of ruby, spiking into a one-sided blade.

Where the hilt met the shaft a glorious emerald sparkled, exactly the color of my eyes. From the pommel, a short chain sparkled, a familiar silver flower hanging at the end.

My new hand flashed to my throat, finding nothing but my bag-strap. I mentally slapped myself; I hadn't even realized it was gone!

With my free hand, I reached to caress the silver lily.

_Are you even there now, Kaboa? You've protected me from everything as best you could, and now I finally realized I felt you there all along… But now, I can't feel you. You're gone… And I'm alone._

Tears slipped from my eyes like starlight, running down my cheeks.

I keep trying to lie to myself, believe everyone's alive, that I didn't see my own world destroyed before my eyes… But I can't lie to myself anymore; it really happened…

Cool glass hit my knees as I fell to them, hands hitting the floor.

"I know what it's like to lose everything…" I whipped my head around, a blue human specter meeting my gaze, but not the ghost I was looking for.

"I made a promise to someone I'd come back to help them… Cynder, you don't know me, but I know you. Remember me when the time comes… And don't give in like we did, stay strong for all four of us… There's a fire inside you, never let it burn out."

Then she was gone like smoke, and I just blinked, cursing myself for crying in front of a stranger. Again.


	5. GATHERING STORMCLOUDS

Riku massaged his head; the voice wouldn't go away, no matter how he ignored it.

'_There is so very much to learn… You understand so little.'_

Growling under his breath, the teen glowered at nothing.

'_I could teach you so much… Maybe even the beginnings of wisdom…_' The voice continued, _'You know no raft could carry you from here, no simple boat could surpass such great expanses of nothing.'_

'_I can help you, Riku, if you have the strength and courage… I could free you from this prison.'_

"Could…could you free all three of us?"

'_If you have the courage to do what you must without hesitation, there is much we can do for one another…'_

Those words curdled like poison in the young man's mind.

"What must I do?"

'_Go to the place that means most to you, and all will reveal itself … Do not fear a path shrouded in darkness…_'

"I don't fear anything!" The teen snarled, pushing his window open and slipping out, silver hair sparkling in the moon-rays.

'_Then we will be quite…compatible…'_the voice hissed as a storm cloud crossed over the iridescent moon, throwing the silver-haired teenager into darkness.

'_Oh yes, quite compatible indeed…'_

…

'_Is that…Riku?'_

Kairi squinted out her window as silver hair flashed in a flicker of moonlight before it was drowned again. A few raindrops pattered on the glass of her window, and she glanced to the darkening sky.

'_Just like a guy to forget about grabbing a coat when a storm's brewing, I wonder why he'd… The raft! It'll get torn apart!'_

Drawing in a breath to steady herself, unbeknownst to the white-haired teen she was trailing.

…

I didn't have long to drench myself in bitterness, startled as a crack rent through the darkness. Right in the middle of the platform, where Myst's heart would be, a black crack originated, spiraling outward until the whole platform shattered into fragments. I was falling though darkness, slow and confident, like gliding on my wings. I imagined their span weaving the air, flattening as my large foot-armor met the ground.

'_You've gained the power to fight…'_

Feeling the warm grip of the ebony and pink weapon in my hands, I smiled despite myself, giving a good, clean slash to the still air. The wind whipping around the sleek blade whistled ever so slightly, just as my blades had done before.

I glanced around the platform. Another human was painted upon the surface—pale-skinned, with short black fur upon her head, and dressed in a gargantuan fold of gold fabric that didn't look practical in any sense of the word. One hand was in front of her mouth, holding a red apple to her lips.

A shadow appeared on the floor, and I backed up warily. The thing was writhing and twisting, breaking free of the ground to reveal the same sort of thing that had attacked the temple.

Before I knew what I was doing, my eyes had turned to slits, lips pulling up over blunt teeth in a snarl as I lunged, slashing the creature straight through as it dissolved into black oblivion.

'_There will be times you have to fight. Keep your darkness pure and true…'_

More appeared, and I whirled around them, cutting them down in an eloquent dance as their small forms devolved into black mist. I was but a silhouette of darker black in the mist. Their eyes were harsh and numb, and I knew deep within my heart they were not worth pitying.

They didn't have enough of anything to feel pain.

And then a pool of blinding light formed, and I was drowning in it, falling until my butt made an unceremonious reunion with another glass platform.

Muttering ill-tempered curses under my breath, I stumbled to my feet. At least I wasn't ambushed immediately. On one side of the platform was a spectral, white door. The picture was of another overly-dressed human with a dress like starlight and hair like a yellow moon. Behind her were scenes of some sort of strange, round carriage, horses, and two people dancing. In front of her was one, semi-clear, evidently glass, high-healed shoe.

I warily stepped up to the door, taking a handle and pulling with all my might. Nothing.

'_You must always remember…_' the voice murmured, '_You hold the key…_'

A key? They were rare in the temple because we had trouble holding the things, but thinking of the shape my eyes widened in realization. Reaching out my hand, a flash of darkness materialized, forming into the slender blade.

With a jerk, my arm was wrenched forward, the ivory-white tip glowing as a concentrated beam of light hit a lock, and the white doors creaked open. Blinding light flooded forth, forcing me to shade my eyes as I stepped through, only to gasp in shock.

Dragons in the temple I didn't recognize. Four of them. Their forms were fuzzy and indistinct, and their voices sounded like that which had addressed me. First, the green one turned to me, "Now, tell us more about yourself... What is most important to you?"

While I was busy glaring, I found my mouth moving despite myself, forming words I never meant to say. "My friends and family…"

"Hmm," her voice was kind, wise, and somehow almost familiar. "But who are family and who are friends?"

The next turned to me, even less distinct, vaguely red. I couldn't even decipher the gender. The voice was harsh and wild, "What is it you fear beyond all else?"

My death glare did little to repress the answer, "The ones I care for being hurt again."

The dragon grumbled, "Beware not only to think of others, but of yourself as well."

Next, a light blue form looked to me, calm and ancient. "What do you want out of life?"

"I don't know. I never have."

The last, yellow blur finished. "Who is closest to your heart?"

"I… There isn't only one." I closed my eyes. Spyro, Myst, Mom, Dad, Kaboa, Sparx, Ignitus… Please be safe. The yellow form didn't respond.

"Hmm," The light green form said again, "Your friends and family mean the most to you, you fear those you love being hurt, you are unsure of what you want life to offer, and many are close to your heart."

"Sure, whatever," I grumbled.

The four voices joined as one, "You may proceed."

White mist crept in the door, wrapping me like a blanket before dissolving to reveal yet another platform, this picture showing a golden-haired human in a purple gown.

Harsh pools of darkness formed into more of the humanoid shadows, slipping into reality as easily as a dragon would take to the air. Snarling, I rushed forward, using pent-up frustration to my advantage as I danced around the creatures, blade whipping to and fro like an angry viper.

They had all dissolved far too soon.

A great, stained-glass pathway solidified in the darkness, glimmering like hope itself, stretching out into nothing.

Glancing at the platform I was leaving, I stepped onto the first panel warily, carefully eyeing it in case any cracks were to form. Soon I reached the next platform, depicting a gold gown and fiery hair.

I looked up, relieved to see flickering light somewhere above me, bathing my face in a slight glow.

"_The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes…"_

Damn it; disembodied voices love ruining my day… Always.

Air crackling with fire, I turned nervously to behold my own shadow. Wings twisted and warped, a tail sprouting as an inhuman scream burst forth from the black abyss. A dragon tore itself free from the earth, growing rapidly and spreading ruddy-pink and black wings, as it roared to the little light that remained in the shadowy abyss.

The huge dragon looked at me with eyes like fire, its pink stomach and membranes all too familiar.

It looked like me. A huge, feral me. Sleek and deadly, a head lowered down with eyes merely slits. "We meet at last, little one."

Mustering courage, I glared, "And who the hell do you think you are?"

"Simple really—I _am_ you. I am everything you would have been, everything you_should _have been…"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Heh, stubborn little thing. Look at you—weak and helpless. This is what your so-called guardian has reduced you to." A smirk revealed glimmering silver fangs, filed into points and stained with rust-red blood. "And now I have the pleasure of ridding you of the only thing she left you with—yourself."


	6. FIRST SOUND OF THUNDER

The beast lunged, head snapping forward. Lips peeled back over fangs brown with aged blood as a light flashed at the back of her throat.

I tried to lunge forward and beneath the beast, but my legs tangled and I fell, sprawling under her. Grasping blindly for my strange blade, I drew it from nowhere and slashed upwards.

I was rewarded with a shriek of pain as the pink above me lunged upwards. Great wings snapped out to catch the great dragoness mid-jump.

"I'll squash you like a bug!" Great forepaws came down, enveloped in shadows that hit the ground. Rumbling like thunder, the crash was followed with a wave of shadow exploding forth and forming into a swarm of individual shadows. Those shadows fought themselves into existence, rushing at me.

Gritting teeth, I stood, whipping into an awkward spin and bringing the blade along with me. The shadows I slashed in half dissolved, forming into films of dark mist.

A great tail swiped forth, whip like, blade about to literally cut my feet from under me. Bunching haunches, I pushed forward, curling into an awkward ball. Throwing my weight forward, I spiraled and rolled under the sleek scythe.

Scrambling to my feet, I growled, lunging forward, only for a paw to slam into my torso, shoving me back. Tripping, I barely managed to catch myself and lurch back to my feet.

The dragoness glared at me, eyes slitted. "Give up and die," her voice hissed. Raising her head, her open mouth glowed a sickly green.

And then the giant key moved on its own. Jerking my arms upward, the thing's tip began to glow with undefined, light magic. Before I knew what I was doing, I growled a word I'd never heard before.

"_Fira_!"

The white tip glimmered red, and fire burst forth, shooting forward and hitting the great dragon straight in the maw. I knew the poison was flammable, but I hadn't foreseen the tiny explosion that burst in her mouth. Screaming agony, the great dragon's eyes hardened with fury. Darkness gathered around her as she slammed forepaws to glass, darkness sweeping forth from them and enveloping the floor.

It wrapped around me, dragging me down. Pressing into myself, I curled into a ball, painfully reminded of how this resembled when I had been changed.

_'Don't be afraid…'_

_'You hold the greatest weapon of all.'_

_'And don't forget… You are the one who can lead the way…'_

_'Your journey has begun.'_

I jolted awake, shaking. Outside the cave, the sky flashed with thunder.

The calm before the storm had shattered.

…

Far away, beyond the far-stretching reaches of the universe, a duck marched the morning corridors of another world. But not just any duck; this duck had hands, a smart blue outfit, and a rather ridiculous magician's hat.

In a great palace of white-washed walls and plush red carpets, the absurd duck plodded proudly to a gigantic white door. With a knock and a pompous cough, he entered.

"Good morning, Your Majest…" His voice faded when he saw the golden throne at the far end of the room was vacant; the only living being in the room was a yellow dog, its face poking out from behind the throne. With great, doleful black eyes, the dog crept out of its hiding place and carried a letter to the white duck, pushing it into his hand.

The duck's eyes flitted over the envelope, noticing the king's mouse-head seal with both curiosity and a budding feeling of dread. Opening the letter, his eyes darted across the page, widening.

A moment later, the absurd duck exploded out of the throne room at a dead sprint, a sort of quacking wail emitting from his bill.

The king's chief of security was awoken from a nice nap by the same absurd duck screaming in his face. The humanoid dog was used to it by now, but it was still never a pleasant way to awaken.

"Wake up, Goofy, wake up! This is serious!"

The dog however, only drifted back into sleep before he could even blink his eyes open.

Positively growling, the duck raised one finger, a single bolt of lightning arching from the sky and striking Goofy, who wailed as he was thrown into the air. Getting up, he looked at Donald balefully. "Hey there, Donald. G'morning…"

"We got a problem, Goofy!" the duck wailed desperately. "But don't tell anyone!"

However, the dog's eyes were focused somewhere behind Donald. "Queen Minnie?"

"No! Not even the queen!"

"Daisy?"

"No! It's _top secret_!"

"G'morning, ladies!" Goofy interrupted, leaning around the duck and raising a hand.

Stunned, Donald fell silent at the sound of a soft intake of breath and turned to see the two ladies in question looking at him, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. Clearly, they had heard every word.

"Uhhh…" Donald knew he had no choice _now_.

_'Donald,_

_Sorry to rush off without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but the stars have been blinking out, one by one. And that means disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all, but I've gotta go to check into it. There's someone with a 'key'—a key to our, and every other world's survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him, and stick with him. Got it? We need that key, or we're doomed! Go to Traverse Town and find Leon. He'll point you in the right direction._

_P.S. Would ya apologize to Minnie for me? Thanks, pal.'_

Now in the palace's library, the mouse queen and Daisy finished reading over the letter. The queen's eyes lingered a little longer on the king's seal at the end, a simple mark reminiscent of the shape of his head.

"Oh dear… What could this mean?" Daisy asked no one in particular.

Minnie sighed, placing a hand over her heart and seeming to draw strength from it. "It means that we'll just have to trust the king."

Raising one armored hand to his mouth, Goofy sighed. "Gawrsh… I sure hope he's all right."

"Your highness," Donald interrupted, his eyes on Minnie, "don't worry! We'll find him, _and_ this 'key'!"

"Thank you, both of you." The little mouse's eyes glimmered with hope.

Donald looked to Daisy, "Daisy, can you look after her?"

"Of course, we will look after each other," she said. "Be careful now. Both of you."

"Oh!" Minne gasped, as though she had remembered something she had almost forgotten. "And to chronicle your travels, he will accompany you."

For an instant, the to-be travelers were perplexed, looking around for their unknown companion. Then a small blur met their eyes, green and tiny, bouncing on the corner of the desk in the centre of the room. It was some sort of cricket that had decided to wear a coat, a dusky blue top hat, and stand upright. "Over here!"

The little insect dipped his hat to the two, "Cricket's the name! Jiminy Cricket, at your service!"

Donald looked like he was about to pass comment on the unexpected companion, but Minnie began speaking before he had the chance. "We pray for your safe return. Please help the king…"

Donald straightened smartly, holding one hand to his chest. His gaze swept over the mouse queen, the beautiful, duck lady Daisy, and…Goofy? The humanoid dog saluted sharply with much clanking of armor, his expression serious. With an indignant quack, Donald lurched forward and grabbed him by the upper arm.

"You're coming too!"

Minutes later, the two stepped into the gummi hangar—the castle's ship-dock—in the middle of conversation.

"Gawrsh, Jiminy…" Goofy said in an unusually melancholic voice, "your world disappeared, too?"

The little cricket sighed from his perch atop Goofy's head. "It was terrible. We were scattered. And as far as I can see, I'm the only one who made it to this castle…"

"Goofy," Donald said, "you best be careful to be inconspicuous when we're in other worlds."

For a minute Goofy was lost, "Incogspicius?" The duck only scowled. "Oh wait, I gotcha! You mean when we're on other worlds we can't let on where we're from. We gotta protect the world border!"

"Order!" The duck corrected stiffly. "I've got spells on us already that'll make no one take not of how we may be different. IT should help some, but if you go blabbing your mouth…"

"Right, world order!"

Together they strode down the dark corridor and towards the ship that would soon take them far beyond their world's border, Goofy's next words hanging thoughtfully in the still air.

"Guess we'll need new duds when we get there!"

Into a room of high bricks walls and giant, whirring cogs, the pair strode over to what looked like the speaker part of a trombone. Donald quacked into it, his rash voice travelling up the bronze pipe. "Hello, up there! Donald Duck to launch crew! Anytime you're ready!"

Those words were heard by two chipmunks inside a small control-room of sorts. Saluting smartly, they eagerly went about their duties, tugging down levers and pressing glowing buttons. A giant hand extended from the roof to carry both Donald and Goofy—upside down—to the waiting gummi ship. Only when they were safely seated in the cockpit did Donald raise his hand towards the doors of the hangar and cry out, "Blast off!"

It was not the dramatic exit Donald was hoping for. Instead of blasting impressively through the doors and out into the galaxy, the floor opened up beneath them and the ship fell into darkness, its occupants screaming all the way. Then, the hangar was left in the silence.

Moments later, a colorful ship tumbled out into space and rocketed off into the black, star-strewn heavens.

Sora

In his bed, Sora was thinking about Kairi, not an uncommon pastime for him.

"_I just can't wait…"_ he remembered her saying. _"Once we set sail… It'll be great!"_

"Sora! Almost time for dinner!" His mother's voice reverberated throughout the house. Sora sighed, looking outside_. A storm…?_

He lazed about for another minute, before his eyes widened. _The raft!_

The boy vaulted out the window without a second thought. Honestly, all three of them were in the habit of using them more than doors.

"Sora, dinner's ready!" The voice grew perplexed. Her food was good, and generally any mention of food on the table would always bring the brunette boy running. But there was no sign of him. "Sora?"

Meanwhile, Sora docked his boat and pulled himself onto the island, glancing up concernedly at a budding orb of dark power in the heavens. It sent chills up his spine.

Kairi

She didn't know why she crawled into the secret place. The thunder was worse, cracking only feet above the treetops, and her hair was so wet it would have to be wrung out like a towel. The shadows seemed to be lengthening, writhing like they were alive, and somehow sending her stomach into nausea.

Green eyes glimmered in the darkness, reflective like a cat's, and for a minute Kairi froze in sheer terror, shaken to the bones. Those eyes weren't human.

A figure ran to her in the gloom, and she sighed in pure relief when she recognized Cynder. She already knew the girl was _something_ else, but what? She felt so weak. She'd hope to find sanctuary here, but sheer power was ripping through the place, disorienting, draining the little strength she had left.

Cynder ran to her, reflective eyes wide with concern. Supporting the girl, she brought her farther into the cavern. The redhead was shaking like a leaf, and Cynder shook herself.

_She isn't Myst. No matter how similar she seems, she isn't!_

"Shh, shh, it's okay," she murmured gently, "we're going to be fine." Things she would have murmured to Myst had she had the chance…

"What's happening?" Kairi's voice was cracked and weak, her eyes wide and staring. Something about the darkness didn't agree with her, causing this violent reaction, whatever it was.

"I don't know… I just don't know…" It was all Cynder could say, and silence followed. She held onto the girl, grim determination in her eyes.

_This time I'm not going to let go…_

Sora

Glancing down at the dock he stood upon, Sora's eyes widened at seeing two painfully-familiar boats. _Riku and Kairi are here!_

The island was cloaked in shadows that sent chills up his spine. Splotches of a deeper darkness emerged; lidless, yellow, piercing eyes blinking into existence.

_The creatures from my dream!_

One of the gangly, almost infantine creatures lunged at him, and he slashed forward with his practice sword, but it passed through as if the creature were naught but black fog. However, another's claw slashed at his leg, clipping it and drawing forth a line of ruby blood. They were substantial all right, and he couldn't harm them. Gritting teeth at the sting in his leg, the blue-eyed islander bolted, blindly rushing towards where the raft should be.

He didn't have much of a choice, though; the beasts kept appearing, forcing him to about-turn and race the other way as black talons whistled not inches behind. Soon, he came to a stop, relieved, a familiar figure in front of him. His back was turned, but the silvery hair was a dead giveaway. For a moment, Sora had never been gladder to see Riku.

"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!" The panicked brunette asked frantically.

"The door…has opened…" Riku sounded exhausted, tired, almost drunk.

"_What?"_

"The door has opened, Sora!" When the ivory-haired teen turned, his eyes were blurred, confused and certain all at the same time. "Now we can go to the outside world!"

"What're you talking about?" The brunette's fists clenched. "We have to find Kairi and Cynder!"

"Kairi's coming with us!"

_'Does he even realize she's not here?'_ Sora thought, flinching as icy, azure eyes bore into him, lacking their usual hint of warmth.

"Once we step through, we might not be able to come back." Darkness writhed in the white-haired boy's shadow. "We may never see our parents again… There's no turning back."

He seemed unable to grasp why this would matter. Sora was scared for his friend; this wasn't him—while he had always seen his goal as first and foremost in his life, he seemed to have lost the thought that other things mattered at all.

"But still, this might be our only chance! We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness! I'm not afraid of _anything!_"

The young man looked at Sora, holding out one gloved hand, an invitation, a challenge—something Sora had seen many times from his best friend. "Riku…"

That was when the ground erupted into a hornet's nest of flickering shadows, writhing into twirling vipers that wound around and latched onto his friend.


	7. WHERE EVERYONE'S CONFUSED EXCEPT THE CAT

(Just a hint- there's a good deal of vastly important points hinted at in here- try to find them if you want!)

Something was torn from him, something he refused to give up. Something he'd promised himself that he would never lose again. He only just got to really feel it, damn it.

Heh, swearing? Even mentally? That wasn't like him. And that fact should have bothered him, so why didn't it?

_What's happening to me? Why am I falling?_

He shouldn't be falling. Where were they? In his little remaining sanity, he knew they were supposed to be there.

_Where are my wings?_

Everything was missing. Everything hurt. But that didn't make sense either. How could limbs he couldn't find feel pain?

Everything was being torn away from that cold hollow where his heart should be.  
>There wasn't anyone to help him this time. No one to bring him back. She wasn't here.<p>

"Hmph. Why waste time on this anomaly?"

"Ursula. You are not here to question me. This one shows promise; a heartless with this much power not rampaging off immediately shows the heart that fell was exceptionally strong—perhaps even fought off darkness before. There is no reason to turn away from power that lands gift-wrapped on our doorstep."

"I like him, such a creature turned into what he's not!Again! The mental chaos it would throw him in! It's a masterpiece!"

"Silence! The two of you are here to find a way to bind him. You can almost taste the darkness he was steeped in for so long. Normal methods will not service alone. He's all but immune to the darkness by now."

The single male voice sighed. "But that's_ so_ boring! I want to savor how he reacts!"

He caught a glare and sighed. "Oh, fine. But I want a world to have some fun with soon! You made mine so boring and dark; even I can only have so much fun messin' with that old brood mare. She doesn't even have the energy to fight me with holding what's left together. Things have gotten so terribly_ dull_ at home."

A snap sounded.

Something changed. Something was pulling on him. Glowing eyes blinked into existence. Shadow was everywhere, choking him, pulling him.

He didn't have the strength to fight it.

Even if he did, he didn't think it would make a difference.

Black legs bunched and straightened, unbidden.

~Riku~

Riku was choking on shadow, but he didn't care. It pulled him down. His head was shutting down. Something burned in his chest—his heart?

For a moment he felt a warmth in his hand, reassuring, metallic. Outside the blackened prison, the air by Sora's palm flickered, unnoticed. But as the darkness swallowed the white haired teen, he lost that warmth. Any trace of it was just…gone…

Sora reached forward, blindly grasping at Riku's outstretched hand. He was seconds too late as darkness surrounded them both. Choking, cold, heavy, blinding…

Sora was terrified. Not so much for himself, but for the islands. For Riku, for Kairi, for his parents. For the islands themselves.

A spark lit his hand, and then another. Glimmering golden light showered him in warmth. It swirled into a long shaft—solidifying into something hard and metallic.

Silver and gold, it looked a bit like an over-glorified house key. A silver shaft, silver crown-shaped teeth and a gold hilt—or more of a handle—formed the weapon. If it could be called a weapon.

_Keyblade…_

Was that the wind? It sounded so far away, yet still like it was whispering straight into his ear.

_Keyblade…_

He didn't have the time to wonder about the voice for long. Around him, the shadows writhed. Struggling to break free from their imprisonment on the ground, the black masses sprang forth.

Fortunately for Sora, years of practice with a wooden sword had not come and gone in vain.

Duck under one creature, whip back the keyblade. Roll forward.

When years of practice turned to reflex and his head all but shut down, it was almost easy.

Jump to the side, horizontal slash, spin, diagonal slash, dodge left.

He couldn't keep his up.

He started running, heart leading him to the one place in the world he thought he might be safe.

Ducking, he scrambled into the tunnel leading to The Secret Place. He could feel the wind that had a habit of spurring up a moaning through the tunnel. But it was harsher now, cooling sweat-soaked skin and sending cold tingles down his spine.

Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

His eyes widened when he saw the limp Kairi in Cynder's protective grasp. Her eyes stared into nothing as her hands trembled on cold stone.

"Kairi!"

"Sora…" Her voice was so small and so tired, almost broken.

And then the wind thundered into a tempest and a door that was never meant to be open trembled on its hinges.

The door slid open with a shrill screech that jabbed into everyone's eardrums hard enough to make them sting.

And once more Cynder broke her promise, though not intentionally. Once more a girl she'd sworn somewhere in her heart of hearts to protect went flying from her firm grasp.

Flung towards Sora, she looked like she was being bleached of color. Crimson locks behind her became transparent as Sora reached for her.

And then, like wind, she rushed straight through him and was simply _gone._ Ghostlike limbs faded quickly and completely into nothing at all.

And then the wind took a ruthless hold on the other two bodies, and Sora and Cynder were thrown away. Weaker than leaves in a hurricane, they were helplessly carried along before slamming into sun-bleached sand.

It wasn't getting any sunlight now though. It was impossible to tell if it was day or night—the sky was writhing with black clouds that gobbled up the sun, the moon, and the stars. The darkness even had eyes set upon the sandy earth, ravaging the edges of reality. The rim of the island was fading into night. The sand fell into the dark tempest, only to vanish, consumed by greedy shadow.

As Cynder and Sora stumbled to tired feet, a great twilight orb flickered into being. Great arms stretched from it, darkening as a feral growl split the hell-hot air.

The creature was massive. Vaguely humanoid, it looked like what any of the strange shadows futilely wanted to be when they grew up. Taller than the islands themselves, its eye alone was the size of Cynder's outstretched palm. Tendrils as thick as their forearms rippled around the great face, a dark mockery of hair.

"Great," Cynder grumbled, ignoring Sora's terrified shaking. "Not a freaking day's peace."

Praying to the ancestors, Cynder raised her hand.

A single spark of darkness curled around thin fingers, and then another. Stretching out, shadow took form into the key from her dream.

"Good to know I'm not quite that insane," Cynder announced as Sora stared, looking quickly between his own keyblade and hers.

"Do you know what's happening?" His voice was almost a plea for something to make sense in the fragmenting world.

Cyn shrugged, a slight grin bearing sharpened canines. "Not a freaking clue."

_But at least I know how to handle this._

She was used to weird, it was her life_. It's a bit sad... Only in my life does this feel normal. Only mine…_

"Stay back." She sure as hell wasn't letting him get hurt if she could help it.

Taking a moment to gather her bearings, she sprang forward with what could only be a screech of defiance.

…

The first thing she felt was vertigo. It was like her body had been jerked a few thousand meters and left her stomach behind. A whimper escaped a small muzzle, and the creature forced her eyes open.

The world around her was a mosaic of jumbled, blurring color. A purple and pink blob rested a foot from her still form, and with a squeak of shock she jerked to her feet only to fall again.

What she certainly didn't expect was for the unknown blob to mirror the motion. With a_ flip_. It reached two limbs up, grabbed the blob that seemed to be its head and threw it jauntily over its own shoulder.

It seemed to catch the head in its tail before plopping it down on one upraised back foot.

"What are you?" Her squeak was high-pitched and terrified.

"Really dear, most under the brillig' sky know who I am. Now, what troubles me is what or who are you? Don't you know?"

"I'm Myst."

The creature pivoted, shoving a back leg, plus head, into her face. "Now, now, I could just be mad—we all know that, now don't we?—but you look quite solid to me, not all a-wispy."

"No, not mist,_ Myst_. It's spelled a bit different, at least in dragontongue," she explained tiredly, not sure what else to do. "It's just my name."

"A name, a swathe of fog on Wonderland, is there really such a difference?" The creature vanished, and Myst whipped around when she could smell it behind her.

"Okay, anyway, can you tell me where I am?"

"Anywhere, nowhere, everywhere. How am I to know? I'm sure you already do. If you don't, who's to say it'd make a difference to me?"

"Can you talk normal? You're giving me a headache," the little dragon said honestly.

"I may or may not. Who's to say what is normal? Am I normal? To myself, quite so—to you, perhaps not. After all, what is strange is dependent on the eyes that rest upon it."

"Please, I'm lost and I need to find my friends..."

"Friend or foe—can you tell the difference? I certainly can't. Few can be defined by eyes that only see the surface."

"Leave that to me, can you just point me to the Silver River at least? Do you know where that is?"

"If I already said I don't know where or what this place is, how am I to tell you as much? Or where the path leads that goes where you wish it? Here, there, or back again. It's all the same to me."

"Could you point me to someone who can help?"

"There is one like you, but not in skin. Maybe this can help or hurt? I wouldn't know myself, but perhaps the one in blue does. But then again perhaps she doesn't. But watch the shadows, they may not be wise but they can be clever."

With a jaunty wave, the thing vanished, leaving a smear of white for a moment where its smile once was.


	8. SHADOW OF THE LOST

Spyro liked the cats. Even in his current state—lost somewhere deep, cold and dark—they would chase around him. Once, he thought they had turned into a wreath of fire, and his heart almost felt reachable. Even when they left again, a warmth still lingered all about him, soothing the pain.

But then the boy came. The boy with coal for eyes. Magnetic, horrible orbs of obsidian that dug into what little was left of his spirit and ripped his will away. He wasn't even shackled anymore, but still bonds held him to the cold stone room in the cold stone castle and left him alone to feel the wreckage of his heart becoming just as cold—just as hard.

He had fallen to tears once or twice, but had no lids to block them. They dribbled down like rain, leaving glittering splashes on the floor.

The more that boy saw him, the less he felt, the farther away the world seemed from his weeping heart—if he still had one at all. The cats had come and gone, their faithful light shining so close, but remaining unattainable.

It was in this state that she, whatever she was, had found him.

She looked a bit like a bipedal canine with huge ears and eyes. Light pink fur covered her small body, and two antennas stretched from her large head. Spyro tried to murmur something, but all he could make now were hisses and dull roars.

"Shhhh, Angel help," the thing murmured. "Nuggi wakka! No tell muka! Boogie-boo hurt if you say!"

_I don't think you can help me, little...whatever you are..._

But then the singing started. Exotic, gibberish. But it seemed to peel away the layers of confusion and hurt around his struggling consciousness. The pain was there, but the urge to fight it was stronger. He _could _do this. _Would _do it.

He had to.

* * *

><p>It was strange to fight without a tail, claws, teeth, or horns. Still, leaping, darting, swiping with the keyblade-thing... It was the most in control I'd felt in this new body—this new world.<p>

I was almost grateful for it, but sad as well. When had fighting become such a large part of me that I felt empty without it? Or was it just something that helped me make sense of a deranged world?

Sora, the idiot, distracted me. I would have dodged that swipe, honestly, my legs were already bending in preparation to jump. But then Sora was there, slashing his own weapon down in a great arc and into the beast's arm.

My eyes widened.

"Hold him there if you can!" I shouted, voice challenging, before I jumped.

My new set of feet hit shadowed skin, and I ran right up the arm.

With a great tremor, the other hand crashed into the arm I was standing on a mere foot behind me. If I'd been my normal self I'd be sans one tail and plus a lovely black and pink pancake. I slipped my arm back and blindly swiped my keyblade behind me. The hopelily that hung from the hilt created a light swishing sound as the tendrils whipped through the wind.

"_Thunder!"_

I had no idea where the shout came from, but a warm fire sprang into my chest, the familiar presence of my elements.

Behind me, a few fingers were blasted away only to reform.

The arm I was on began swinging. Sora couldn't have forced it still forever. It swung me down and away from my quarry. Gritting sharp teeth, I sprang up and dug my forepaws into the shadow of the shoulder.

Hands without claws did me little good, and with a screech I fell. For an instant my keyblade rematerialised, piercing the creature's arm, and I grabbed hold. I squeezed my eyes shut, terrified, as the blade jarred above me.

My wings, why were they gone? I needed them, even before I learned to fly. Back when height didn't scare me, when the ground was always a simple glide away.

Now I was terrified. The air wound around me—now an enemy. The ground loomed below, my possible death. The black sky stared down at me, starless, wrong, uncaring, unobtainable.

Smooth material slipped from my hand, and I was sent into a free fall. Instinctively, I jerked my shoulders back, but I had nothing to catch the wind, nothing to ride upon.

Then I felt hands grab my torso as I tumbled backwards, butt landing on something almost soft.

A groan sounded beneath me, and I turned to discover Sora sprawled under me, looking understandably miserable. But hey, at least my claws and blades were gone, right?

Stumbling to my feet, I looked at him shakily. "Up and at 'em, big boy, I'm not _that _heavy."

"Er... Never said you were?" He tilted his head in a way that reminded me of Spyro, and I couldn't resist a grin.

"Good boy. Now, I believe we have a little problem to deal with."

"Little?" He grumbled, forcing himself up on his absolutely ridiculous foot-armor-things. Honestly, I'd seen apes with better fashion sense.

"Cynder, you know if you land on those shoes you don't need to worry? It looks like you have some with the special padding..." He gestured at my feet.

I glanced down, noticing my 'shoes' were just as gargantuan as his, only pink, black and silver. Totally better, even if the world does love to color me a complete hypocrite.

Our conversation was interrupted with a great _crash _as a huge sphere of purple energy slammed into the fragmenting earth a few feet away.

I looked at the huge monstrosity, then at my own suddenly frail body, then guiltily at Sora.

"Hey, porcupine," I glanced over his ridiculous head-fur. If it were any stiffer I swear it'd make the best weapon in the world. "Up for lending me a paw?"

"_Porcupine_?"

"Want something worse?" I asked sweetly.

"Er, porcupine's fine? I guess?"

"We understand each other. Good. Ready to go, porky?" I didn't wait for an answer, it was plain in his azure eyes.

Reaching my hand to the side, the long shaft shadow-sparked into existence. "Hey, big blackie, you look about as sentient as an ape's..." I glanced at Sora, feeling guilty—he seemed so damn childish, "...butt."

"Aww, trash-talking something that doesn't seem able to hear isn't any fun at all!" I whined.

Sora stared at me before we ran at it, together brandishing our lovely fancified house keys. I think I heard him mutter something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "First world problems, folks, first world problems."

"Blizzard!" Ice flowed from my blade, covering the puddles of darkness around the creature and freezing the scattering of small shadow-beasts wading in them. Sora shot me a confused look, but went to skating around and smashing the little things, and I even thought I saw a small smile creep over his lips.

Hello, misplaced aggression. Meet little unable-to-feel monsters. I think this is the start of a simply _beautiful _friendship.

I slammed a foot back into one, scattering bits of shadowed ice. I grinned, quite feral, and shot a blast of fire at the big monster's head. The next time it tried to swipe at me I carved a large chunk out of its palm and a few fingers to boot.

Jerking my keyblade forward, I twitched it up, inviting the ice to follow and form a ramp. "Sora, push me hard as you can."

He looked confused, but did it. Leaning down and forward, I threw my keyblade back and shouted "Wind!" like it was the most natural thing in the world. A twister formed behind me, shooting me forward and then up. I raised my keyblade, slamming it down and straight through the head I landed upon.

As the great beast dissipated, I spun into a backflip and landed quite comfortably on my feet. I could feel the spring in these shoes; maybe there was an actual reason for the size?

But then the rest of the fading world shattered. Dizzy, we were slammed into the air.

I shut my eyes tight, trying to pretend I was flying as the world I was just getting used to, getting a little fond of, vanished around me.

* * *

><p>Riku stood on a little island, staring at a castle. The very air of this place was charged, different, and it sent electric joy through his veins.<p>

"I did it," he whispered, awed. "I'm on another world..."

"Indeed you seem to be."

He turned, eyes widening at how close to a dragon the women looked. It looked like she had horns, and a black cape fluttered like wings around her.

"Who are you?"

The tall, imperial woman's eyes assessed him. "I am known across the worlds as Maleficent. Who, if I may inquire, are you?"

"Riku."

"And why have you appeared on my doorstep without my consent?"

"I don't know. I was home, then it was like I was drowning in darkness...but now here I am."

She eyed him as a wolf would. "The darkness did not hurt or weaken you?"

"No."

"Hmm. Perhaps I can help you. It sounds as if you wish to see other worlds, yes?"

"The first thing I need is to find my friends. They...they didn't come with me and they're not strong enough to face any danger alone."

"Of course, child." The women smiled at him in a way that reminded him quite eerily of a viper coiled to strike. The hair on the back of his neck prickled and stood on end, but he did his best to ignore it. He could look after himself, after all. Besides, he could bail at any time.

If she could help him...

Then he would just have to take that risk.

* * *

><p>In a city of ash and dark fire, a white head looked towards the sky. A mane and tail tumbled around her, covered in dust and drooping. Around her, the land was cracked.<p>

She was alone; horribly, horribly alone.

And then she saw the comets. No—they were animals. Strange, bipedal animals. One was shimmering in sparkling light, the other soothing dark.

Humans. Off-Worlders. Judging by the strength of their magic, key-bearers as well. Wise old eyes studied them, and hope budded in her chest.

Maybe, just maybe, they could hold salvation for a goddess, and all those who depended upon getting back here. If not, they could lock the keyhole so she could do it herself.

She remembered a prophecy from long ago, and it gave her hope.

'_Dark and Light together guide the lost ones towards their sun_

_Only all together can this world return again to one.'_

She used her magic to slow their fall, drawing them to her. The female was the first to awaken, eyes widening slowly, and she muttered something in a croaking voice.

"Well now I've seen everything, and more besides..."

* * *

><p><em>Your journey has begun.<em>

_Dawn awaits, make your way to meet it._

_But do not be afraid,_

_For in your heart of hearts there lies the mightiest weapon of all..._

_Take it up and let it guide you._

_Trust it, because it will not lead you astray should you stop to listen._

...

I've become a silhouette some nights,  
>Invisible, untouchable, unreachable.<br>Everything is leaving, fading out of sight,  
>Oh, so unattainable.<br>But maybe, just maybe you'll lead my way tonight.

Worlds are lost and worlds are saved.  
>A whole world is alive in your eyes today.<br>After all the darkness we can brave,  
>Maybe things can turn out okay.<p>

Shackled in the dark, alone and wide awake.  
>In my eyes there comes some firelight,<br>To fight for all our sakes,  
>To help us make our way tonight.<p>

I've become a silhouette some nights,  
>Invisible, untouchable, unreachable.<br>Everything is leaving, fading out of sight,  
>Oh, so unattainable.<br>But maybe, just maybe you'll lead my way tonight.

Ghosts of memories chase all around me,  
>Remind me of the good times so long ago,<br>When my heart could be so free,  
>When the world seemed something I could know.<p>

Believe in me and I'll chase away the bad times,  
>Singing songs tonight by fierce firelight,<br>Of times spent on little games and children's rhymes.  
>I'll find you so once again the world can feel right.<p>

* * *

><p>(AN:

Non-canon/LOC characters seen in this chapter:

**Angel/Experiment six-two-three:** A small creature from _Stitch: The Series_ with the ability to turn others evil with her enchanting lullaby. However, the reverse of the spell nudges them towards good. For the purpose of this story, her song does not work as well when she's off her own world, but is still a force to be reckoned with.

**Manfred Bloor:** A hypnotist from _Charlie Bone_. With a stare like coal that can, and has, made someone loose their identity for years, he is powerful.

**The Three Flames—Aeries (red), Sagittarius (yellow), and Leo (orange):** From _Charlie Bone._ They were once proud leopards who belonged to the great Red King, but when he planned to permanently turn himself into a tree he turned them into three 'common'—though he term does not really apply to them—housecats. They are red, orange, and yellow. They have the ability to run around something and turn into a ring flames, warming and healing them. They have saved several hypothermia victims, pulled Charlie Bone's soul out of a painting and even saved someone who was recently drowned. Their fur gives off a soft glow, and they tend to help children wherever they can, trying to avert mischief. They are very intelligent and can always sense someone's intentions.

**Princess Celestia:** From _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_. A strong goddess with wings and a horn, she raises her world's sun come dawn and is capable of doing the same with the moon. Now, she is alone on a broken and desolate Equestria. The capital was called by all those she sent away "The City of Ashes" because of the great fire that raged there. Her world lies near collapse, and her little remaining magic is all that prevents it from vanishing all together.)


	9. TROLLESTIA STRIKES AGAIN

"So…can you talk? And what the hell is wrong with your hair?" I studied the strange horse, guessing it was female due to its build. It was tall with a horn long enough to pierce straight through a human chest, pale violet eyes, swanlike wings, a crown, and a few pieces of armour. What puzzled me was her mane and tail—they floated with nothing to support them, and looked more like water than fur.

She studied me politely, like a queen on her throne. She damn well reminded me of Kaboa somehow—the air about her; the motherly air. But she also reminded me of a chess master, cool and detached. Glancing around, I realised the broken and collapsing building around us indeed reminded me of a palace or temple. Perhaps it had been once, but now the walls had collapsed and the floor was buried in what, for a minute, I thought must be snow. But no, it was warm and fragile.

I shivered in the middle of this city buried in rubble and ash. "What happened here?"

"Terrible things, key wielder. My world has all but fallen to the tainted dark. I did all in my power to prevent it. I embody sunlight, and so I fought it bitterly. I could not prevent it in the end, though, as it defeated my sister. In my last attempt to save our world, I sent both my sister and six ponies to other worlds that in some way resembled them. In these six, I stored the lives of the others."

"Wait, you're giving the safety of your world to six people?" Was she nuts? "Willingly? What if they die? Does that mean everyone tied to them dies too?"

"If I did not, they would all die regardless. I trusted their lives to the ones best suited to the task."

I dug my fingers into the skin of my temple by reflex, sighing. Was this a new world altogether? Just how many were there? I had a suspicion this stuck-up horse wanted something from me. "So is there a reason you're telling me this, or is it just 'cause I asked?"

"I would beg your help, key wielder. Foals, babies, dragons, diamond dogs—thousands are at stake. Would you turn your back on them?"

Okay, impressive. I studied her and repressed a growl. It had taken her approximately ten minutes to analyse me and know exactly where to strike to get what she wanted. Chess mistress indeed. I glanced at Sora to make sure he was still asleep, and turned a glare and a snarl on the horse.

"Let's get one thing straight, Sparkly. I will do what I can to save people, yes, but no one's worth more than anyone else. And I have my own problems and family, and biased or whatever the hell that is, they come first. Secondly, I'm not some pawn for you to shove wherever you want. _I _decide what I do, no one else."

"So you allow your rage to affect not only your own fate, but the fate of all who you hold dear? A fate that would not be of their own making? I know little of your key, but I know within them lies the heart balance. Would you doom the world with your sins?" Her voice was clean and cut, the insult lying in nary a look or gesture. Her mouth was fixed in a look of concern.

I wanted to tear that look off her face with my now vanquished claws. Mostly because she was right, and I hated the challenge she played—a melody of words.

Gritting my teeth and glaring, I huffed. "Fine, lend me a paw here and tell me why I need this obese chest key and I'll see about playing nurse-drake to your friends. Deal?"

"Thank you." The white mare regally dipped her head. "That is the generous path. And you do not need to threaten me with the loss of a world's worth of life to gain my aid, traveller."

Ouch. "Well, you don't need to treat me like a child."

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen; why do you care?"

"Then I have lived your life a thousand times to be standing on my crumbling throne, traveller. I have yet to meet one mortal who is not, compared to me, a child."

"Still not a little kid here, your majesty," I spat the words like a curse, and was shocked to see the slightest tremble in her forelegs. To a dragon, the non-sentient herbivores were easy to read, to catch, and to kill. Though I could not smell it like I could on the Atlawa, sorrow was draped around her. It darkened snowy fur to ash and turned the spiel of color in her mane to a sad affair.

I glanced down at my hand to find a green and silver shimmer. The Hopelilly shone for a moment with all the radiance of a star before dying again. Did it help me remember who I was? Let me glean powers from my true form? I looked up curiously, all venom lost from my tired voice. "I remind you of someone, don't I?"

"Perhaps, but my past is not the topic. As I'm sure you've surmised, the weapons you and the boy wield are called keyblades. They are usually powerful tools of light, and as such most hold a strong connection to me once they are in my sight. I know little else but that they bond our many worlds as one. However, while the male's keyblade holds strong bonds to light, yours seems different. It holds proud to a power I have only ever seen one other wield before."

I sighed, hoping for something more useful. "Lemme guess, purified dark? Do you have anything useful to say or are you going to spout folklore all day? Do you know anyone else with these glorified keys?"

"I met one once, a tall female with blue hair who went by the name of Aqua. It had been long since the last key-bearer had set hoof in my domain—but I left the others be. Lady Aqua did not tell me much, though she held some great vendetta against the peaceful dark, even if she seemed uncertain. Close to then I felt the flicker of a dark keyblader as well, but never made contact with her. I only glimpsed her upon her departure. Strangely enough, she was the only keyblader who smelled of dragon magic."

Why the hell was she staring at me like that? It was creepy. "Okay then. Please tell me you know how to get off this wasteland before you give me an even more permanent headache?"

"If you insist." Yellow flashed around the mare's horn, and the colors around me warped to kaleidoscopic blurs before fading away. Again.

"I hate my life," I muttered before my ass made _another _unceremonious reunion with the ground.

* * *

><p>"You could stay at my castle if you so wish it," the imperial women murmured, opening the gargantuan doors with a wave of her hand and what Riku could only assume was magic. He wanted to ask, but something about the tall women did not beg to be messed with. She had an air about her, not unlike Cynder's, that rose the hair on the back of his neck. She didn't seem all human, and he didn't like it. But what choice did he have? He saw little point in playing hopscotch over the floating hunks of rock until he starved.<p>

"What I _wish_ is to find my friends and I'll get out of your hair."

"It is not that simple. If the darkness pulled you from your world, the likelihood of your friends landing here is dismal to none. You need a vessel of some kind, which I could provide.

"What's the catch?" Riku asked dryly.

"I merely require you to... rescue a few dear friends of mine."

"So, you want me to pay for my friends by kidnapping a person. That's totally fine. If I was some tall heartless villain with an attitude problem, which I'm not. Is there an alternative that won't leave a bad taste in my mouth?"

"Your morals taint your decisions. I would never bring bodily harm to the girls. But regardless, you must stay in the castle. After all, where else can you go?"

Riku wanted to refuse her, but there really was no other option. "Again, what's the catch?"

"Oh, nothing child. The company will be quite enough. The others here are not the most... conversational beings."

Riku resisted the urge to grind his teeth. She did not seem one to aid hapless vagabonds. _Why do I feel like I'm walking right into a trap?_

From under the nearby staircase, black eyes watched for a moment before a pink form scrambled into the shadows. Oh, how Angel _hated_ that beast of a women. She shivered at the sound of them walking above her.

Above, Malificent led Riku up countless stairways until he was hopelessly lost. This whole castle was bizarre and seemingly twisted.

"Well, who would this be?" a voice cut like ice through the eerily chilled air. Riku turned to see a tall teenager sporting dark purple jeans, a tight black top and a deep purple cape. Though most of his hair was drawn back into an oily pony tail, a few grey-streaked black bangs framed his pale face and his eyes held as much compassion as a glacier. Those eyes...

A chill slithered up Riku's spine as those coal-black eyes caught and held his own. For a moment it was as if the world around him was fading to match the midnight hue, before Malificent's harsh voice broke through it.

"Bloor, cease this. Immediately."

"Oh, very well," grumbled the young man, bringing one hand up to stroke his wispy stubble. He averted his eyes and Riku's world snapped back into focus. "I don't see why, people can be _so _much easier to deal with. Anyway, I've done want you wanted—I have to get back before anyone cottons on to me being gone."

"Very well, but if I catch you using your talent on anyone under my protection again, I will not be so accommodating."

The boy turned cold eyes on the queasy Riku, who immediately turned his head away—that was one mistake he would not make again. "I am Manfred Bloor. Who are you?"

"None of your business, ponytail."

The boy stepped forward to the point where Riku would have to look up to see his face—not that he wanted to. "You would do well not to cross me,_ boy_."

_Heh. He can't be more than two or three years older than me._ "Oho, look at me, just shaking in my boots."

"If that's so, why don't you look at me again?"

"Stop this. Manfred, on your way. _Now_."

The taller boy sighed, glancing at the towering women. "Fine. Have fun working with _this _one. Let me know when you want help with that_ thing _again. Or this one, that would work too."

With a smirk, he paced to the end of a hallway and into another room. Riku squinted as darkness reflected in a paned window before vanishing.

"What was that about?" he asked stiffly. "Trouble in the ranks? And what's wrong with his eyes?"

"Manfred is the grandson of an old friend, and has skills I require for a personal project of mine. Unfortunately, he is also rather incorrigible. His eyes are the key to his power. I would advise avoiding eye contact."

"No, really?"

"I am patient, but only so much insolence will be tolerable if you wish to remain in my good graces, thus perhaps earning my aid in finding your friends. Many worlds hold more dangers than this. Is that clear?"

Effectively gagged, Riku followed the eerie woman further into the twisted castle. A feature that, he hoped, did not reflect its mistress's motives. Somehow he doubted that hope was founded.

He never noticed the piercing yellow gaze of the huddled smoky figure when he passed the room it was held in. If he had noticed, he would have been left to wonder on how those thoroughly blank yellow eyes could reflect upon the broken soul behind them.

Characters not from KH/LOC

Angel (Stitch the Series)

Manfred Bloor (Charlie Bone)

Princess Celestia (My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic)


	10. FRIENDSHIP IS MALIFICENT

Myst was still wandering, completely lost. Through the hours, she had learned one oh-so-helpful fact. This place was _not _designed for the blind. At this point, she wasn't even sure which way was up. She'd tried flying in a medium-sized room, only to discover that gravity could be quite versatile—it had ditched her straight on what she was sure had been the ceiling only moments earlier. This did not impress her, and she was already sporting an increasingly sore body.

Currently she was lying amidst a sea of flowers, closing her eyes to listen to soft songs she couldn't place while she rested her aching limbs. She was confused, terrified, worried for everyone else, and in absolute desperate need of a bath. Her body was dusted with everything from giant mushroom spores to caking dried liquid, and in her opinion it smelled _horrid._

Myst was used to the temple and could walk anywhere within it while acquiring nothing but a patch or two of dust. However, a nearly blind dragon alone in the unknown was not a pleasant combination. At all.

"Hiii! You look a little bitty lost!"

Myst jumped about three feet and whipped her head from side to side, desperately searching for a blob of color out of place. "Hello? Who's there?"

"Hey, what was that for?!" She looked to her snout, discovering something very small and very_, very _pink looking at her from the tip of her nose. "I could have fallen and got hurt!"

"Er... Sorry. Didn't see you there?" Myst said quietly, watching the blob bounce each time she opened her mouth. "Can I...help you?"

"Nope! I wanted to see if you've seen my friends! They're close to your size and look sorta like me, and I bet they aren't having nearly enough fun here without me!"

"I don't think I've ever met anything quite like you before," Myst murmured, internally wondering if that was even a compliment. "...Sorry."

The little blur seemed to droop slightly, darker pink blobs wilting noticeably. "Maybe they aren't here at all. I've been looking every-which-way and up and down and they aren't anywhere to be found, and I'm a teensy bit worried too. I haven't seen anypony anywhere!"

"I'm really sorry I can't help you, but do you want to stay with me until you find whoever it is you're looking for? I could use a little help too, so do you think we could help each other?" _I don't want to be alone anymore..._

"Of course! We'll be the bestest of friends!" the blob squeaked, perking up with all the subtlety of an intense static shock before wrapping her front limbs around Myst's nose with an impressively firm grip. "I wanna stop going it alone too, and the black things are real meanies and don't wanna be friends and I don't like them and I was hoping the queen would help but she's nothing like the princesses and this place might be superamazingawesomebutIjustwannagohome!"

Myst blinked. Repeatedly. "Er, okay, sure. But you're hurting my nose. Can you loosen your grip please?"

"Oops, sorry! Didn't think I was pinching so hard! I didn't wanna hurt you! Sorry!"

"So anyway… Could you please help me? You see, I'm fairly blind. I recently took something that should heal my eyes in another week-and-a-half or so, but right now I can barely even make out that you seem to be _very _pink. Would you help me avoid trouble until I get my sight back? I'll try to help you too."

"Oh." The blob plonked onto her hindquarters. "I'm really reeaalllyyy sorry! I promise I didn't mean to scare you!" One of the tiny limbs made odd motions. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

Myst had to force herself not to shake her head in utter confusion. She wasn't eager to send her new 'bestest friend' flying.

"I'm Pinkie Pie by the way, who're you?"

"Myst."

Soon after, the unusual pair were on their way, the excitable little Pinkie Pie hyperly blurting directions.

"Oh, er, Pinkie?"

"Yes, Myssy?"

"...What's a cupcake?"

* * *

><p><em>Cynder<em>

I was jolted awake by what I could have sworn was an extremely high-pitched yell far off in the distance, but wrote it off as nothing as I looked around. If I thought my last lovely wake-up was weird, this was worse. I was on a weirdly thick cobblestone path, and buildings that were nothing like the Atlawa's thatched roofs or the temple's carved stones towered towards the sky. Here and there, long vertical poles were dotted along the streets. From each dangled a lit ball of something I couldn't identify but reminded me of the strange platforms from my nightmare. The sky was dark and littered with stars. I spent a good couple minutes looking at the sky. At least that was something _normal. _

Then a star sputtered like the wick of a candle and mere moments later it was gone, seemingly drowned in the sea of night.

"Wellll," I muttered, drawing out the word. "That's not normal. Then again, normal seems to be pretty scarce… So maybe normality is not normal."

I half expected Sparx's irritated complaint about hurting his head, but there was only silence.

I lowered a hand to my side to try and push my body up, and looked down when my fingers brushed something smooth. They had traced a round red stone, orange lancing at its core like fire. For a crazy moment, I thought it was a spirit gem and maybe I was _home_. Reality crushed that hope far too quickly. Life was never that easy, especially for me.

I picked the stone up and lifted it to my chest, closing my eyes. It pulsed like living fire. It felt like it was breathing. It felt like_ home. _

I stuck it into my silk bag, feeling the heat of the palm-sized rock pass through magic cloth that could withstand magma. The ache from the fall was chased from my veins as a feeling I hadn't found since leaving the swamp warmed me. It was like mom and dad… Somehow.

"Well I've gone insane. Again," I muttered as I staggered to my feet, cursing the human body in all it's biped idiocy.

"Where's that key?"

"You know, maybe we ought'a go find Leon."

I blinked, peering from the alley I had awoken in with a frown. A giant duck and a scavenger, wielding the most obnoxious voices imaginable. And I got stuck with Volteer and Cyril frequently.

"What key?" My voice cracked the air, and I realized my throat was irritably dry. I stepped from the alley's shadows, sizing up the strange creatures. Could they mean my strange weapon? Sora's? "Can you tell me where I am?"

"Whatcha think you're doing sneaking up on us like that?!" the duck quacked. "And that doesn't concern you!"

Feh. I could take these things even in this pathetic body. Best to gauge their reaction. "Well, I would happen to disagree with you—especially if you're looking for one of these." I held my hand out and the long blade formed from shadows. "And maybe I'll help you with whatever you want with it… If you tell me what it is."

"The key!" the duo screeched simultaneously and I fought to hide my grin. That was one question answered.

"Uh-huh, yes, a key." I let it vanish but kept my hand cocked to call it again if I had to. "What do you know 'bout it, ducky?"

You could practically see a vein spring up under the feathers of his forehead. "That's Donald Duck to you, not Ducky!"

"I'm Goofy! Please ta meet ya!" the dog said, plainly unclear or uncaring to the fact I'd just insulted his friend. "We need your help."

"Shush, Goofy, don't tell her that yet!" the duck quacked, swiping his companion's head with his long staff. I lifted an eyebrow.

"Care to quit squabbling like an old couple and tell me where the hell I am? I've got things to do to, you know. I doubt you could stop me if I decide to leave."

"Stupid duckling," I swear I heard the duck grumble. "Fine. Our King sent us to look for you. The worlds need your help."

"It's awful important," the dog agreed. "We're trying to save lotsa people, a'hyuck."

"I'll think about it. Do you come from here or another world?" No reason to trust a word they said yet.

"You know! That's supposed to be secret!"

"I've been tossed to three worlds, plus home, in the past five days. I'd be quite the idiot if I didn't know about them."

"Gosh, that sounds rough." The dog reached a hand to my shoulder, and I didn't have the heart to stop him. Something about him just seemed inherently gentle. "We wanna help ya if ya give us the chance."

I smirked at the duck's less than subtle 'speak for yourself' glare.

"Tell you what. You help me out here and I'll think about it. I'm looking for a friend of mine. Baggy short pant things, boyish face, and looks like he carries around a porcupine on his head. Seen him?"

"We haven' seen anyone like that, have we, Donald? A'hyuck. But we're a'looking for someone named Leon who should know his way 'round here. Think he might know where good places to look are, Donald?"

"Probably," the white duck grumbled.

"So why don'tcha come with us for now?" The dog smiled. "Maybe we can help each other."

"Fine, but if I have any reason not to trust you…" Glaring at the antagonistic duck, I reached my hand forward and shadow sparked across my fingers. "It won't end well. For you."

"That a threat?!" The duck tried to lunge at me, but his companion grabbed his shoulder.

"Easy there, Donald. She's just being careful-like. She don't know nothing about us."

"That's _anything_, Goofy, not nothing!" The duck slapped his forehead with a feathered hand.

I turned and studied the area to hide my grin. The only sign of life was some faint pawprints headed away from the alley. "Lead the way, Ducky. We don't have all day."

* * *

><p>Riku shivered on the bed he had been provided, glaring up at the irritatingly pink something on his ceiling. The thing wouldn't leave his room and it wouldn't stop singing in a high voice in a language that sounded like gibberish. The only thing preventing him from chucking something at it was that it looked too damned sad. Still, something was very wrong with that voice—it twisted his gut and sent an eerie, foreign feeling up his limbs. He'd asked Maleficent to stop the creature bugging him, but the witch had insisted that she was a guest as well and was free to do as she willed, just like he was—with a few restrictions. The pink critter hadn't looked like it agreed, but had quit its growling when Maleficent had glared and started fingering a strange little sphere with "6-2-6" on it.<p>

He didn't have a clue what was going on, and he hated it.

Sick of the creature's chattering, he went to the only room that seemed to shut it up. Maleficent said he could go there to 'learn that not all darkness should be feared.'

That was certainly true. The darkness in there looked pretty pathetic in a way that he couldn't help but pity. He walked into the room and knelt next to the thing. A large head turned to face him with painfully bright glowing eyes that still looked soft somehow. He remembered the first time he'd snuck in here; how those eyes had seemed to say to him, 'You hate it here too?'

"Hey there. Doing better?"

The thing just tilted its head down. Its mouth opened in what Riku swore was an attempt at speech, but all that came out was a growl.

"Yeah, me either." He placed an arm on the thing's shoulder, legs sprawled in front of him. The odd creature's black antenna twitched and a large wing draped around his shoulders like a cape, returning the gesture.

"You know, maybe you can get out. I've seen the little things like you around here vanish and appear all the time. I've been here a week and it seems like you're getting better. Maybe you could do that too?"

_...Need me… _It was more of a feeling than words.

Riku jumped and frantically searched the room before turning to his dark companion. "Did you just _talk?_"

The creature blinked, only to turn its head to lay on its forepaws.

_...Long as you need me here, I'll stay even if I had somewhere to go…_

* * *

><p>"Really, Maleficent? Is it wise to allow the boy so close to that heartless?" A man with a twisted goate stared down at a flickering illusion of what was happening in the other room. "What are you trying to accomplish?"<p>

Her lips twitched into the closest thing to a smile she ever came to. "That heartless is opening up to the boy, letting him into the defences that keep us from controlling him. He's unknowingly filtering his darkness into the boy—quickly, I might add, since the boy is already tuned closely enough to the taint to hear him through it. We can use that bond when he has been turned. That heartless is the strongest I have ever encountered, and using him indirectly is better that not being able to use him at all."

"You planned this?" The boy with coal eyes looked impressed. "How could you have possibly known they would get close so fast?"

"Simple, Manfred." She turned to look into nothing. "They are two of a kind, fighting the darkness. Even if the boy doesn't know it. It is only natural that they would draw together."

"Ah!" A hawk's talon and lion's paw drew together in a single clap. "You're using their downright _boring_ predictability against them! I like that."

The imperial women turned towards them, almost draconic eyes glittering. "Indeed. They seal their fates by befriending each other."

The lion's paw flicked a tear of laughter away. "Oh, what Celestia and her little ponies would think of this! Friendship being _wrong! _Hah! Such _wonderful _unpredictability."

* * *

><p>"Then you grab some bits of mushroom,<p>

'Cause this one seems to be sweet!

Maybe it can take the place of sugar,

And we've already found the wheat!"

Myst had really thought she'd already had her share of insane friends. But apparently not.

"Now we've got to find some flour

To add it to the mix!

They still might just be a little sour,

But still only a pinch!"

"...What are you doing?" Myst asked, trying to zero in on the tiny pink blur that was there one second and gone the next. And singing. Loudly.

"'Cause not knowing cupcakes is not okay,

so I'm here to save the day today!"

"Piiiinnnkkkkkkiiieeee!" She went ignored.

"Come on, get ready to try some more,

If you've never had your fill before!"

"Of cupcakes! You've gotta try some cupcakes!

Cupcakes, cupcakes, _cupcakes!"_

Myst buried her head in her paws. "This place is _nuts_."

* * *

><p><strong>Characters not originally in KHLOC/Spyro:**

**Angel: Stitch the Series**

**Discord: My Little Pony**

**Pinkie Pie: My Little Pony**

**Manfred Bloor: Charlie Bone**

**The song is based on "Cupcakes" from an early MLP episode. However, the lyrics are different (except two lines—three are allowed in the rulebook) so it still lies within FF guidelines.**


End file.
